When We Enter Neverland
by Morningstar-Girl
Summary: Infected have taken over the earth for years due to an Outbreak. The only way to survive is hunt and kill, hoping not to become those mindless creatures that aimlessly roam the land. Lucy, future leader of her village, and her team, Natsu, Gray, and Erza, are taken away for the amusement of the Cititzens from the North and dragged through a journey worse than death. Part I
1. Prologue I

_So this is something that I've been working on for a few years now. It's part of a novel I was working on but then stopped to work on my Fanfiction series and another novel that I had planned out more so than this. The characters are very (or not really, depends on how you see it) OC...But I guess that's because I set it in a zombie apocalypse. __(I write a lot of dystopian stuff with fantasy on the side. Hope you all like it_

_~Tati_

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**When We Enter Neverland**

_**Part I**_

_Prologue I_

_**The mid afternoon sun was beaming down on our backs. **_We couldn't complain though. Me because I can't speak. Erza because she was looking around. Natsu because he was trying to keep us alive. And the newbie because he was nervous. To speak now meant death to the rest of us and no food for the village. Which also meant more death.

But, I gotta give credit to the newbie, Gray. He was doing well for his first time. Nervous instead of excited for his first hunt. I figured that all eighteen-year olds would be the same. Excited, cocky, high above the likes of the experienced hunters. But not Gray. I could see him shaking slightly, not so much to make Natsu tell him to go back to the village and train some more 'till he's up to the hunt.

I don't think I was like that when I first started hunting. I was a kid on my first hunt. At that time I could talk, my father was still around, and my mother was too. I can't really remember what my first hunt was like for me. I'm not sure if I screamed at the black blood or if I was overjoyed with my first kill. That's lost forever in the back of my mind.

I watched Natsu focusing on the entrance of the forest. That's where all the game is. The Muerto Forest. The Dead Forest. People die there. It's believed that my father did right after the Citizens took away my mother. The bears in this forest have the best meat in the area…Well, the closest that you could ever get to the best meat. The deer always lead to the best places to graze for berries and roots. But, it's always a pain to get in. Getting out is the easy part.

The Infected don't like staying after dark.

Erza was a good scout. She's rather big, but her eyes are amazing at scouting out objects in the horizon. And she was quick enough to duck down before something found our hiding place. She looked over the rock we were behind for about a minute or so before coming back down. I looked at her expecting something. She shook her head.

Natsu poked my left ear. His signal for me to listen to anything I could pick up. When I lost my voice, my hearing and sense of smell got stronger. I listened. I heard the breathing of the others and the distant sounds of the village. I also heard the sound of heavy breathing. Almost husky even. I lifted my nose in the air, catching the surrounding smells. Grass. Pine. Dirt. Dried leaves. Blood. Death. West of us.

I kicked Erza gently as I grabbed one of my guns and motioned my head in the direction of the scent of them. She understood and stuck her head out as I started loading. I gave Natsu a look that told him everything that he needed to know: _They're near._

Natsu turned to Gray next to him. "Get ready Ice Cube," he whispered. "Your big debut is up next." He tauntingly sounded like the man that took his cousin away last year.

"On it," Gray said. He sounded nervous, but confident at the same time. He didn't want to disappoint the village or get himself, and us in turn, killed.

I positioned my rifle directly on the rock and waited for Erza's report. "To the right," she said. I moved it so. "Keep going. Keep go-Stop! We're set for business."

I looked into the scope. I waited until I saw some sorta movement in the area. I saw the limp, pale hair of one of them and shot. I saw the head of that one explode from the impact and black blood landed on some of the others. The others stood up as I grabbed my pistol. Just in case I didn't have enough time to snipe another one. They looked around until they looked in our direction and headed towards us. It was a group of seven, not including the one I just got.

"Natsu, throw one," Erza said. Natsu threw one of his flaming spears into the chest of the lead. Down he goes. Dead.

"Ice Cube, Erza, get ready to shoot," Natsu said back.

Gray nodded and steadily got his crossbow into position and aimed for one in the back of the pack. Erza had three arrows on her bow and aimed for the front. Natsu got into his throwing position with another spear and I loaded my handgun. I stood up and I heard Gray choke.

"What are you _doing_?" he whispered/yelled at me. I looked to the newbie and smiled.

"Kid, watch and see," Erza said.

I looked to the pack, running now towards us. I tilted my head and tauntingly smiled at them. Though, I knew that they couldn't possibly comprehend the act of a taunt with the brain capacity already to the max thinking a single word: _KILL!_

I raised my gun and pointed it to them. My taunting smile turned into an evil grin as I let out the first shot; hitting one of them in the head. That one fell back as the others advanced towards me. I let out another two shots, landing in the head and shoulder of another. Four more to take out.

I lowered my arm and let the others take care of the rest for me. "And, now," Natsu said. Natsu stood up and threw his spear that ended up going through two of them. Gray stared in awe. Natsu noticed and shook his head. "Just luck Kid."

"But still," Gray said, "that was amazing." I poked Gray and he looked at me. I pointed to the pack. "Oh! Right."

He aimed for the farthest one to the right. He shot the arrow and it went through its head. Gray was good with a crossbow. Shaky by only a little. But with more practice on moving targets, he could probably be an Archer like Erza. She was up last. Her three arrows were aimed at the chest, heart, and head of the last one. She shot and the last dropped dead.

The battle was short but we did win a prize. To be able to get into the forest to hunt with no problem. And the stench of black blood in our noses.

I held up my hand before Gray let out a breath of relief. I looked around, waiting for another surprise attack from them to pop out from wherever. I nodded and lowered my hand. _We're good_.

"Let's head out," Natsu said. "It's two now. Probably will take us another two hours to get food and head back to the village."

I stuck my pistol on my belt and grabbed my rifle. I nodded and leaded the way towards the forest. Passing the now forever dead bodies of Infected. Their flesh was falling off of their bones and had a nasty sickening smell to it. Their bleached hair was limp and covered in the red blood of human from past meals and from their own black blood from this battle. Their dull eyes were open and were a vomit yellow kind of colour. Some of them wore clothes, but it was more like torn-up rags rather than clothes.

The forest hid the sad and horrifying reality of our world. It showed the true essence of what the world was like before the Outbreak happened and before we started living like this. At lease, that's what I heard from my great-great-grandmother. I consider myself lucky to hear what it was like in the Golden Age as she calls it from her very mouth. She lived during the peak of that era, and started raising a family too. Not a lot of kids could say that their great-great-grandparents told them anything of that time. They were mostly dead when we came around.

The lush green leaves were shining from the sunlight as they blew from the wind on the branches. I caught a couple of squirrels leaping from tree branch to tree branch in a sorta game of tag. The snapping of twigs beneath our boots sounded like a lullaby to me as I heard it so many times before now. The refreshing smell of earth mixed with the assorted smells of different trees in the forest. Gray looked around in awe. It's his first time being let out of the village gates. Let him look around as long as he's within earshot and not making us loose game.

"Okay, here's the plan. Erza, take Gray to the western river to catch some salmon. Me and Luce will look for a bear or deer to kill," Natsu explained.

"Aw! Why do you get to hunt for the meat and we're stuck on fishing duty?" Erza complained. She did always loved the thrill of the hunt and _hated_ whenever she wasn't apart of it.

"Because I don't want the kid to get killed right off the bat," Natsu explained. "He should survive at _lease_ four more hunts before getting killed by a killer bear." Erza rolled her eyes. "Meet back here in an hour, go gather strawberries if ya want."

"Pft. Whatever," she said, trying to hide the fact she _loves_ strawberries. Erza grabbed Gray's collar and pulled him with her. "C'mon Newbie. We're going fishing. On the way I'll tell you what kind of roots and berries to forage. A lot of people back at the village died because some idiot picked the wrong ones."

"Oh…fun," Gray said.

I smiled and laughed. Natsu could tell because my shoulders were moving as if I was laughing instead of making the noise. He smiled to me and motioned his head deeper into the forest.

"C'mon Luce," he said. I looked to him and nodded.

We walked up the hill that leads to the nearest waterfall. Bears in the forest loved going to waters because it's easier to catch salmon when they're going upstream. Usually going on hunts makes me think. About what it was like in the Golden Age. Great-Great-Granny Ruth said that it was amazing. That there was no fear in being killed once outside of the village. That there was peace and there were no such things as Citizens or Sector Unknown. Just America.

The world that was from the past seemed so far away. It was years ago. But my great-great-grandmother thought that it was only yesterday. A Neverland of sorts. Some far of place that was never meant to be discovered. A fairytale. A myth.

_But, what would it be like if we entered this Neverland that had flourished but perished?_ I thought as we continued looking for game.

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_So...that's it. But if you guys really liked it and there's a bunch of epic and awesome reviews praising it, wanting more, or something along the lines of that, let me know and I'll see to it that it'll be a work in progress._

_Sorry for not updating in a long time. Been looking for a job, which I finally have now. Might get another one to pay for my school tuition. (That shit's expensive!) And sorry for mistakes, this was one of my first stories I've ever written and just rewrote it to put in Fairy Tail characters and elements to it. I'll fix it as I go if you guys decide to read more of it._

_Thanks again for stopping by, Tati_


	2. Prologue II

_So here's a little bit of background history to the story. Hope you guys like it._

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_Prologue II_

**_Learn from yesterday._**

**_Live for today._**

**_Hope for tomorrow._**

_-Einstein_

It's survival of the fittest now. Since the Outbreak. Communities, families, scattered. No one has hope for the next day. We barely have enough to last us half the day. We live to survive. We fight for our makeshift families we've found on our journeys to find our _real_ ones.

From the stories I've been told by my great-great-grandmother, it wasn't always like this. In fact, there was an era that the Elders call the Golden Age. Everyone had no fear to leave the "city" they lived in. People had education. No one hunted for the village or the Citizens. Hell, there was no such _thing_ as Citizens or Sector Unknown.

But that all changed when the Outbreak happened.

December 21st, 2012. The first day of the Outbreak. The Outbreak meaning the day of the Infected starting coming after human blood. Or any blood they could get their hands on.

A scientist had the best intentions. Saving world from the most fatal disease in it, cancer. The scientist had tried it on a dog that was infected. The dog was healed from cancer and the scientist was given the go-ahead to start treatment on humans. Though, little did everyone know that the dog was turned into a deadly monster that had no cure to saving him. That was the first day of the Outbreak out of eight days of hell.

The dog turned into a zombie-like creature, killing everyone in the household, turning them also into zombie-like creatures. But the information was too late reaching the one who created the cure. The scientist had already placed the cure into half of the population that had cancer and had sent them home, getting infected and infecting their families and friends. They are called the Infected.

Everyone of lower status, meaning middle-class and lower, were to evacuate to the countryside where the Infected wouldn't reach. The higher status people were sent up north where the Infected wouldn't survive the harsh winters. The world's leaders made a decision not to make any sort of contact with America as it was highly populated with Infected. They made another decision to call the infected America Sector Unknown now.

One third of Sector Unknown's population was infected by the fifth day. Two thirds by day eight, December 28th, 2012. The higher-ups in the north were now called Citizens and where they live is called the Ever Refuge. But we in the south call it Cana tauntingly. Short for its old name during the age, Canada.

Now, almost a hundred after the Outbreak, we are called Sectors. The people who do the work for the Citizens. Hunting for their and our meat. Fishing for their and our seafood. Making them and us clothes. And so much more. We Sectors constantly are aggravated by the Citizens. They have the high life, a silver platter always placed before them while we work until we die for them. We even sacrifice our lives to protect their refuge and their homes while we die from the Infected or animals, starvation, or dehydration.

The government up north divided Sectors in villages into major jobs. Gunman, Archer, Swordsman, Healer, and Elders. The Elders are basically the council of the village and have constant communication with other Elders from other villages. Healers, like their title states, heal the wounded and sick. There is a Head Healer and then other Healers under their command. Archers are skilled men and women with a bow/crossbow and arrows as their weapon. Like Healers, there is a Head Archer and regular Archers underneath them. Head Swordsman is second-in-command of the village and Head Gunman is first-in-command. Swordsmen and Gunmen are skilled in all forms of weaponry but prefer to what their title is.

The Citizens do something for us, lease to say. They provide us with weapons and machinery to fight the Infected and to provide our jobs given to us by them. Some Sectors praised them for that. Others think they're just getting by on our good side. Me? I couldn't care less really.

To me, they are nothing. As they took my mother with them when they came into the village once. Just like a soldier that was forced into the army by the government. People around the village told me they took my mother with them on their annual hunts. They call it the Remembrance Hunts. A hunt specifically for the Infected. The Citizens take Sectors from all over Sector Unknown to hunt "with" them. More like hunt for them. The Remembrance Hunts last for eight days, then Sectors who survive are returned to their villages. My mother didn't.

And when she didn't, my father went into the Dead Forest and never came back.

Father had a favourite quote that his great grandmother, my Great-Great-Granny Ruth, told him every time he failed at his turn to hunt or whenever he was slumped with his duration of being Head Gunman, the leader of the village._ Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow._ Learn from your past mistakes and what you did wrong. Make everything count today. And hope for the best for tomorrow and that everything changes.

But how can we hope for tomorrow if we can barely make it through today?

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_It's short, yeah, but more of it will clear up when I start working on it more. I'll definitely work on it after I'm finished with _Finding Their Lost Light_, which I'll upload a chapter by tonight or tomorrow morning for sure._

_Thanks again for stopping by, Tati_


	3. Chapter I

_What's up everyone, Tati here. And welcome to the first chapter of the actual story. A lot of you like it, like really like it. So here's the next chapter. There's two parts to this story in total, but I'll keep the details about it as a surprise for you all. But some context before you continue._

_Natsu's the oldest on the team, being 20. Erza and Gray are the same age, Erza's 19 and Gray's turning 19 soon. And Lucy's the youngest at 18._

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_Chapter I_

**_I stared out of my window, waiting to be called down for breakfast._** The early snowfall covered the fields around the village and the rooftops. But, the snow would make traveling to the market hard for the horses and for us. I saw a couple of white rabbits hopping their way through the cold air, probably to the forest where they will be safer…If they don't get caught by the Infected.

I stood up from my window seat and to my drawer. I opened one of them and pulled out a loose white dress that came with a black corset that rested under my chest, with matching black jacket with gold trimming was folded underneath the dress. My mother's. She would use it whenever it was snowy weather like this to distract Infected away from the others. My hands ran over the silky material. Even though it was a dress, it was easy to defend against Infected wearing it.

I started undressing out of my night clothes and into the dress when I heard a knock at the door. Natsu walked in, unfazed by me in my undergarments. I nodded casually to him as he sat on my bed.

"Mom finished making breakfast," he said. I nodded as I slipped into the dress. He wasn't freaking out as his brothers would. I mean, when I fell apart years ago he was the one who had to help me dress. Secretly, I think he didn't mind really.

I pulled her sleeves on and tied the front corset up. I attempted to tie the back one too. Well, I guess you could say Natsu had to drag himself from his spot on my bed to help me out.

"And, there you go," he said when he finished. I turned to him and nodded. "Maybe Gray could make you some weird contraption to help you out with the back." He laughed and I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I shook my head. _Never mind you idiot_, I thought. I walked over to my mirror and started brushing my blonde hair, an obvious beacon for Infected. I glanced at Natsu in the mirror as he looked outside. Trying to look busy. His dark eyes switched from looking outside to me as he continuously scratched his head of pink hair, another beacon for Infected. We made perfect distractions together.

The light reflecting off the new fallen snow caused tinges of silver to appear in his hair. Natsu's tall, well toned body was covered with a pair of white pants, a black waist coat, and his one-sleeved black jacket. His muscles were broad from all of the heavy lifting he did at a young age. The girls should be thankful to God for giving him such a body to drool over. Because that's what we need; girls who are head-over-heels for boys in our armada instead of more female warriors.

I looked to myself in the mirror now. An average-sized maiden of eighteen-years old, with exception to my massive bust. With the slight waves of golden hair and deep brown eyes, I wonder why people haven't drooled over _me_ yet. Perhaps it's because I bring in the village's food supply. I looked like my mother. The height, the heart-shaped face, small, pointy nose, and the fair skin. I'm the only one with these bright, almost god-like features after my mother died.

I stood up and grabbed my black jacket that was identical to Natsu's out of the drawer. I started walking out of my room as I slid on the jacket.

I heard Natsu scrambling to catch up to me. "Wait up Luce!" I smiled and shook my head as we walked down the stairs together in his family's cottage. Yes, I lived with him. It's not so bad…right?

I could hear Natsu's three brothers and younger sister fighting about something in the dining room about something. I flinched when I heard their mother yelling at them, or _stepmother_, and sighed when their father tried to intervene between the children and their mother. We walked in and saw the eldest brother, Gajeel, shoving a couple of flapjacks into his mouth and about to take another two from the older twin, Rogue. The younger twin, Sting, was grabbing the eldest sister, Wendy's, hair as the youngest in the family was about to drip their father's short ponytail into the pitcher of orange juice. Wild…

I grabbed the pitcher out of Wendy's reach, practically hearing her pout. Took Rogue's flapjacks from Gajeel and gave them back to him. And slapped Sting's hands to let go of his sister's blue hair. I grabbed an empty plate and slipped five flapjacks on to it. I grabbed the syrup and poured some on and pulled up a chair on the bar in front of the kitchen.

"And that's how you should handle it," Igneel said, Natsu's father. I heard Felicity, Natsu's stepmother, scoff. She never really liked me when I "joined" their family.

"Stop praising the Free-Loader," she muttered under her breath.

"Mom, stop calling Lucy that," Wendy said.

"Yeah Mom," Sting said. "Stop calling the hottie that."

I looked over my shoulder and gave Sting a death stare. Natsu walked over to him and put his younger brother into a headlock.

"You saw Luce," Natsu growled. "Don't court her, Ass."

"Then why don't you court her, Big Brother?" Sting choked out.

"Boys! I don't want _anybody _courting the Free-Loader!" Felicity yelled.

"But Mom!" the boys, minus Rogue and Gajeel, yelled.

"She'll just leave you like how her father did with her," Felicity said, fully knowing that hit a nerve. A bad one to add.

I slammed my fists on the counter. I turned around to glare at her. If looks could kill, she'd be bleeding to death on the floor once she looked into my eyes. Natsu walked over to me and rubbed my arm. He stared at his mother.

"That went too far _Mother_," he said. "You know what could've happened. He wouldn't _dare_ abandon his only daughter."

I drowned my cup of orange juice that he put down beside my plate and shoved his hand off me. I walked out of the room and out of the cottage. Slamming the door in the process.

_Stupid woman_, I thought. _Thinking she knows anything! Damn her to hell!_ I sighed, puffing up my cheeks. _Damn…_

"Having a rough morning, eh Lucy?" I heard a female's voice rang. I looked up and saw Erza, lying down on one of the rooftops. I smiled and nodded. "Tch. Felicity again I'm betting." I placed my finger on my nose: _Right on the dot._ "That's woman's a bitchy monster."

Erza slid down the roof and did a summersault in the air before landing a few feet to my right. Archers had to be agile to run around if they didn't have a good enough aim to shoot.

Erza was about my height, probably a little taller though. Her hair was scarlet red and dead straight which made it a hassle during hunting as it got in the way of her shooting and a pain when she's spotted. Her eyes were as brown as the forest ground. Her body was more toned than mine but not as much as Natsu's. Archers didn't really need to be that fit. Skinny's fine and as long as you're light on your feet.

"What happened this time?" Erza asked. I just looked at her as I didn't bring my notebook out with me. She looked up and down for it. "Oh…You don't have it."

"That _Mother_ of mine went too far today," Natsu said. We looked in his direction. He waved to Erza with my little black book. "You forgot it on the counter."

I bowed in thanks to him and grabbed it. I took out the attached pen and opened the book. I started writing in it and showed it to them when I was finished.

**Just the usual, trying to get Natsu's family to kick me out.**

I got a laugh out of Erza and Natsu just shook it off and turned around towards the village square.

"Let's get ready for the trip Luce," he said. "Erza, could you grab our stuff? It's on the front porch."

Erza saluted to him. "Roger," she said. She pulled out a Communicator and started talking into it. "Gray! Get your butt to Natsu and Lucy's! We got stuff to carry!"

"_On it_."

"C'mon Luce," he said. I nodded and started following Natsu to the village square.

My eyes looked over my shoulder, watching Erza's receding back.

Natsu grabbed my arm and started pulling me along with him. "We're gonna be late and then the villagers are going to be mad." He passively slipped his hand into mine and held it his warm one.

My relationship with Natsu was a weird one. We were forced to be each other's hunting partners since we were six and trained together since then. But, we hated each other at first. He didn't make any kind of contact to me when we were outside of training or hunts. I didn't mind really. I liked being alone. Unless I'm with my parents. We'd always tried to catch my father's eye, the Head Gunman at the time. As if it was destined, my father praised me more than he did Natsu. The perks of being the next in line to be the Head Gunman.

That all changed when my mother left with the Citizens. My father became more distant from me. I did look my mother and I figured it hurt him to see me. At the time, though, I didn't understand what was happening. All I could understand with my brain of a child was that Mother was gone and Father was sad. Some, if not half, of the villagers were like that. Cold, distant from any contact from others, and…sad. And more are added every year around the Frost. In other words, winter.

With my father being less fatherly to me, the relationship between me and Natsu changed. We were in the same boat, his mother was taken away with my mother. But, unlike me, he couldn't dwell on his sadness. Before Igneel remarried, Natsu had to take care of his younger brothers Sting and Rogue and little sister Wendy, who was three at the time. Natsu had someone to be strong for, I didn't.

Natsu took pity on me. I think he still does. Even if it's been nearly ten years. Natsu talked to me, though I wouldn't respond back to him in friendly tones. Mother's disappearance didn't just take a toll on my father. It hit me hard too. But, Natsu took his time with me. I eventually let down my walls, letting him be my first friend. And now, he's one of my best friends.

But, when I was nine, my father suddenly disappeared. With no trace. I was a stone when I found out. I stood there as Natsu's father told me that my father was nowhere to be found in the village. I yelled after. Screamed. And threw some furniture around. Denying the fact with every ounce of my small being. Then, I ran.

I ran out of the village with no weapon. A death sentence. Packs of Infected surround the outskirts of the fields where the mouth of the forest was. They were "dead", but they weren't stupid; the Infected _knew_ and _understood_ that we hunted in that forest for survival. But I ran towards it with no form of protection. I fell over a dead body and started crying, crawled up in ball. I heard the screeches of the Infected closing in on me. I didn't try to run into the refuge of the forest.

What good would it do? I couldn't outrun them. And if I did, I probably wouldn't be left unwounded and end up turning into one of them in a matter of minutes. But, let's say I _did_ make it to the forest unscathed. There were the animals that would love to have a vulnerable nine-year old for lunch.

I looked to the sky. I saw a faint image of my mother and father smiling together. Like how they did before they left me here. Alone. I let tears stream down my face before an Infected grabbed me and started biting on my right arm.

I didn't scream. I just didn't want to. I wanted to die then and there. With no parents left to care. With barely any friends that would actually care. But, I should've screamed. The Infected's teeth biting off my arm had excruciating pain that I can't describe. It was almost like the feeling of your skin being pulled off with unsteady hands and being burned off with melted iron. I lost my voice. I wouldn't live anymore, I wouldn't speak anymore.

I felt that I was on the brink of death. On the doorstep to wherever the next world leads me to. Until I heard gunshots fired in the air, swords clashing, and arrows shot through the air. I felt something cold on me, especially on my arm. The black blood of the Infected. I looked around and could barely make out the figure of a boy a couple years older than me with pink hair. Natsu. He seemed to be yelling at me about something but I couldn't hear because of the ringing in my head. So I shook my head. I raised my right arm to my throat and saw the damage Infected could have on unarmed Sectors. My arm was starting to look that of an Infected. Deteriorating flesh, turning a sickish colour. My crimson red blood slowly and painfully turning into Infected black blood.

"Luce," Natsu said to me. I bumped into something, probably Natsu. I shook my head and looked up to him. He stood in front of me in his young glory of being twenty. "You okay? You seem kinda dazed and nauseous." I smiled to him and waved my hand over my shoulder: _I'm fine. We better keep going._ He doubted me. I know it from his eyes eyeing my eyes then my arm. "Alright. Let's go." He pulled on

I silently sighed and looked down to my arm. The Healers tried their best to heal my arm before I completely turned Infected. Instead, they chopped it off and left me with a stump for a while. That was until a man and his daughter from the north had passed through our village.

The man had escaped from Cana, or Ever Refuge, for unknown reasons with his daughter and was going through the villages helping those who had lost their limbs to the Infected. He had replaced my missing limb with a metal arm, a luxury only found in Cana and something plenty of Citizens had when they visited our villages. It's a _fashion _statement up North while down here it's another chance at _life._

And ever since that day, I don't talk. I stay silent. And ever since, I let people come within my walls more easily than before. If I didn't, I might end up in a worse position than before.

As we neared the village square, I could see the other Gunmen and Swordsmen helping the travelling villagers with loading the carts. Gray and Erza were already there with our stuff. I barely noticed that Natsu walked me through the long, scenic route instead of the faster, less beautified one. I could hear Erza making kissing sounds and I rolled my eyes as Natsu hid his face behind his hand. Gray nodded as if he was observing Infected in a pen.

"You're right Miss Erza," Gray said, "Mr. Natsu is more prone to embarrassment than Miss Lucy." I nodded my head to him and let go of Natsu's hand. My fingertips lingering on the back of his hand for a mere moment before grabbing my stuff. I thrust my metal arm in Gray's face. He was a Maintenance kid; it's his job to maintain our weapons. And my arm when I couldn't make it to my mechanic if he's out of town. "I'm on it. Sit down Miss Lucy."

I sat on the edge of the empty fountain in the middle of the square as Gray oiled my arm and tweaked it a little. I saw a little boy with two others with him playing around a puddle. Their mothers were probably bringing them for their first Market Day. I was always against children coming along. They get in the way when we're trying to mobilize. And are usually the first ones to die on the road as they fall behind the rest. I tried to pass a law that only children with a basic knowledge on fighting and of age nine should be allowed to travel outside of the village with a group for social functions. That didn't get passed. Felicity was against it; therefore the entire female population (well, minus some with an _actual _brain) was against it. It's a status quo thing. Listen to what the leader's wife says and you'll be on good terms in village life.

"There you go." Gray took a step back and admired his work like only an artist would. I guess, if you look at it in a different light, what he does is probably art up North. "I think you should get Gildarts or Cana to look at it when they're back, it's a little dent on the elbow. But other than that, we're good to go."

I moved my metal arm around and found that it didn't creak at all like this morning. I nodded to Gray gratefully and smiled. He raised his arm as if saying it was nothing.

"It was nothing Miss Lucy," he said with a slight hint of a cocky smile. Alright, unlike the other newbs, he deserved to have that cocky smile on his face.

I picked up my notebook quickly scribbling something in it before showing it to him.

**You can drop the Miss Gray.**

Gray's eyes widened before looking at me. "Are you sure? I mean you three are my superiors and all."

**We're on the same team, just call everyone by their name.**

"Ma'am!" someone called out. I looked up to a burly man with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A man I call Hercules as he has saved many villages as a widely known Swordsman. His name, Shepherd.

I nodded towards him as the others greeted to him casually. I wrote in my little black book again.

**Anything wrong Shepherd?**

"We're leaving in about seven minutes but Antoine's family is having some trouble with their fidgety son and they won't be able to finish loading in time," Shepherd explained. I nodded for him to continue. "They were hoping you would help with both situations."

I nodded with a small smile and looked to Erza. She smirked. "Alright. Let's go Lucy." I waved to Natsu and Gray, letting them know that we'd be right back, as Shepherd led the way.

Antoine and his wife, Louisa, were loading their goods, grain and sown clothes, into their small cart. Their son, I think his name was Donny, was bugging the worn-out donkey. When I saw them, they were well off. Good warm clothes with no holes in them, more or less well fed, and high off compare to most of the other villages. When Louisa saw us, she grabbed her husband's arm and he looked up with a large smile spreading across his face.

"Shepherd, you didn't have to bring anyone to help," Antoine said. "Much less Lucy." I raised my hand and shook my head: _It's no problem. We have to help anyone in need._

"It's not a problem Mr. Antoine," Erza said. "We're glad to help wherever we can."

"Dear," Louisa said, "any help is well appreciated Girls. Thank you." I smiled as I bent over to pick up a bundle of grain. "Donny!"

I looked up and saw young green eyes staring back at me. I raised the bundle up in my arms and looked at Donny properly. Probably about five. Damn, he'll be probably one of those kids who'll drive me and the rest of the armada insane. He did look fidgety; never did stop shifting from one foot to the other and back again. He played with dark black locks non-stop. Agitating me in the process. I wanted to grab that hair of his and cut it off until it was that of a military man's. I noticed one thing; he constantly switched his attention from my brown eyes to my metal arm.

His mother came over and whispered something in his ear as I went to place the bundle on the cart. "Honey, it is not polite to stare at people. Especially _her_ Donny. She's our future leader."

"Why does she have a metal arm Mommy?" Donny asked in his childish tone.

"I can't answer that for you. You shouldn't be asking things like that at your age."

Yes, the innocence of children is a great reminder in the village. Things were peaceful until you leave the wall of safety and the protection from the armada. The things that children see behind their eyes is an illusion, a luxury of a timid life compared to the things their parents and adults have seen…Even me and my team of Natsu, Erza, and Gray.

Erza was looking at me in the corner of her eye and I nodded towards her. I let every kid that passes me by whenever they ask that question know that I'm the result of what happens when you let your guard down. Especially when they come along of trips outside of the village. She walked over to Donny and knelt next to him. Louisa looked at me and understood what I meant with this. She got up and left him there with Erza. I continued helping Antoine and Shepherd with packing.

"Mommy," Donny whined.

"Kid, she lost her arm when she left the village with no weapon and no supervision. It was a stupid move made on her part and on our part because no one went after her," Erza said. "Going on these trips may be your last and you have to pay attention whenever you're in Infected Territory. Get it? If you don't," she pointed directly to my metal arm with a tense arm, "you'll end up **exactly **like her."

I knew that Erza never liked telling everyone about my mistake as a child, much using me as an example. But it was something to let the kids face the reality of our world.

She got up and left Donny playing in the frosted covered grass. I honestly don't think that anything got through to him.

"Thank you for your help ladies," Antoine said when I placed the last bundle of clothes and grain on the cart. "We made it just in time." It was two minutes and forty-seven seconds till we left for the Market Village.

"Briefing time," Erza sighed out, throwing her head back. "I don't wanna go."

I chuckled and started pushing Erza towards the square where Natsu and his father were already in the centre, waiting for me.

I walked through the crowd, using Erza as a human shield. I heard her grumble something to me, but I smiled it off. I stood next to Igneel when I finally made it to them as he started the briefing.

"Alright, listen up! It's Market Day so we're going to the Market Village!" Arthur yelled. "There's twenty seven of us going. Ten men, twelve women, and five children. I don't want any deaths on this trip. I will not be going for this trip. It will be lead by my son Natsu and Lucy." I heard some murmurs among the crowd.

I knew most don't think an unstable mute girl should be leading the armada today. Especially that kids were on the trip this time, they know I won't be empathetic if they get caught by some Infected. But, none the less, the villagers didn't say anything. The villagers don't say anything though, in fear that they wouldn't get to go on the trip today.

"We'll be taking the usual route," Natsu said. "Please stay on the path, if you don't there will be a possibility that you will attract the attention of the Infected. And if we do get attacked we have Healers with us and two more than capable teams who will make sure nothing happens. Children, stick to your mothers or fathers. Parents…" Jared looked at me from the corner of his onyx eyes. "Pay attention to your kids."

"Let's head out!" Shepherd yelled.

The carts started rolling as the younger teenagers ran to jump on the back of a couple. The five kids, Donny, three other boys and a girl, ran around a couple of Swordsmen and Gunmen. But, completely avoiding me and my unit. Natsu's father pat his son's shoulder and pat my head. My team stayed at the back of the pack.

* * *

Erza was opening a heart-covered paper. "Damn it!" she yelled. I looked at her questionably. "It's this boy from the next village over. He wants to court me." I smiled. "No. No Lucy. Bad Lucy. I rather not think about that right now. Not until I'm twenty-five or something."

I nodded as we continued walking. The trip wasn't long. About a couple hours or so. But a lot could happen. The path had a chained fence leading to the Market Village. It was to keep the Infected from disrupting the trip. But it doesn't stop them from climbing over the fence. Anything could happen really. A wild boar attack, an Infected attack, a bear attack. The summary of it, a lot could happen. I've lost people on the road to the market before. Natsu had to watch his father fend off against some wolves by himself as we evacuated the area, nearly ending up with Igneel dead.

It's hard to see people you care about in any battle where life and death hang in a fragile balance. It's a struggle to survive even if we were in a large group. And it only gets harder when you get older as you finally understand that you can't do anything to save that eve-

"Where's Donny?" I heard Louisa yell from the front. "Where's my son?" It was barely over halfway to the town and we might of already lost one of the kids.

Erza looked around for some kind of indicator of where he is. I smelled the air for any sign too. I heard a slight whimper in the air and whipped my head towards the sound. In that direction, I smelled the most familiar smell that I was forced to memorize after years of hunting and battles. Blood. Way in the back. Erza followed my gaze and looked. She widened her eyes.

"One Infected with the boy. Poses a threat. Unsure if there are more lurking," Hayden said. "Far back in the grass."

_Shit_, I thought. I glared at Natsu, paced two of my left fingers to my forehead, and raised four metal fingers. He nodded and understood.

"Position Four! Gunmen and Swordsmen surround the cargo and personnel. Archers stand behind them. Healers, stand ready." After a short pause, Natsu turned to me. "Weapons, locked, loaded, and ready."

I ran to where the kid was. I pulled out one of my guns from my belt and a round. I loaded the gun as I was closing in on them. I pointed my gun and perfectly aimed for the Infected's head, arm, and chest. The sounds of bullets firing rang in the air. I saw Donny hunched over the Infected, gripping his wrist.

I glared down at him:_ What happened?!_

He understood as he started spilling the beans. "I was playing with some of my friends at the back of the group. I heard a sound and I went to go look for it. I found that-" he pointed to the dead Infected body "-and I thought it was a wounded animal." I raised an eyebrow at him, questioning whether he was stupid or genuine. "Mommy never told me what they looked like in real life. All she said was that the Infected were fallen angels that looked exactly like angels but wore black clothes and had black wings."

I realised, it wasn't completely the kid's fault that an Infected got so close to him. Louisa didn't tell him anything about the Infected before they left for the trip. I couldn't blame him, he didn't know any better with his mother sheltering him from the reality of the world we live in.

This isn't the place for children of any village to be sheltered away from the truth of our survival. And it's no excuse for it if you say that we will be fine because of our armada. Just one armada isn't enough to fend off of a hoard of Infected.

Donny screamed in pain, gripping his wrist, and I realized that he was bitten by the Infected just before I killed it. I grabbed his wrist and saw that the wound was already blue. I grabbed a knife from my boot and cut his shirt open. The infection had already reached his heart. If it didn't spread as quickly as it did, the most we would have to do was cut the boy's arm off. But, the infection spreads faster in children's bodies.

My face turned cold. As I knew it was the idiot mother, who sheltered her child away from the world, who ultimately killed the boy. Even if she did unknowingly. He was beyond saving now. I knew what I had to do, but I rather would have someone else do it for me now.

I took the gun that I killed the Infected with and loaded if up with another bullet. I heard the rest behind me muttering things about it's a shame or that he was a good boy who didn't listen. The boy's mother stood out louder than the rest. Screaming for me to stop or to another around her to stop me. I turned back to look at her. I saw Erza and her husband holding her back from ripping me to shreds.

"NO!" Louisa screamed. "DON'T TAKE MY BABY! NOT MY BABY!"

I understood that it was hard for a mother to watch her child be killed in front of her eyes. It's every parent's nightmare to see their child turn into an Infected right before their eyes. But, I needed to protect the rest of the villagers from any kind of threat. I _had_ to kill Donny.

"Miss…"Donny asked in a kind of nervous child voice. Scared but in wonder of what's gonna happen next. I raised the gun up to the boy's head and readied it to shoot. "Mommy…What's happening?"

"NO! NOT _MY_ BOY!" Louisa screamed. Fighting back against Erza and her husband trying to get to her son.

"Goodbye Donny-Boy," Antoine said to his son.

"Papa?" he asked.

The loud ringing from the gun echoed in my ears as I watched blood escape Donny's forehead from the bullet hole. His eyes were wide as he fell over. Dead. The others were safe with the cost of a child. I couldn't really hear the cries of horror as most of the villager women haven't seen death at their feet before. I bent down t close the boy's curious green orbs. Curious until the second he died. I heard Louisa yell at me not to touch her son as if he was still alive.

I stood up again and walked back towards the group. I looked to Natsu and Shepherd. I motioned my head towards the corpses and they went.

"_YOU KILLED MY SON!_" Louisa screamed. She managed to get away from Erza and her husband and ran towards me. I grabbed her by her wrist and gripped it until she fell to her knees.

I grabbed my little black book from Erza and started writing in it. I shoved it towards the closest person to me, Gray. He read it over and his dark blue eyes widened. He looked at me to double check if it's what I wanted them to hear from me. I nodded sternly and he sighed.

"Whatever you say Chief," Gray said. Gray cleared his throat before reciting what I wanted to let everyone to know.

"_Your son wouldn't be dead right now if it weren't for your sheltering. If you hadn't told him a highly inaccurate version of an Infected your son would know what an Infected looked like in real life. He would've ran for help. This is a message for you and for all parents; we are not in a position to shelter our children from the truth. They will eventually encounter with one of them and will die if they are sheltered from the truth. Remember this day as the day when the children in our village can no longer be hidden away from our reality._"

Everyone nodded and stayed quiet for the rest of the trip. I could hear the women, including Erza as she was the sociable accepted one between us two, comforting Louisa. Gray was talking to Antoine, who probably reminiscing about Donny and his young life. Natsu walked beside me.

"You okay?" he asked; I nodded. "Was there anything we could do to save him?" I shook my head and pointed to my heart. "Is that so then. You did the right think then. I know you don't want to compromise the safety of the others for one person." I looked up to him with a look in my eyes: _He was a boy, Natsu. Five years old Natsu._ He showed a small smile. "I know that Luce." It was like he was reading my mind. "But there's nothing you could've done to help. It was bad. You saw it yourself." He looked out to the horizon. He raised his hand towards the direction.

I looked up and saw the sun setting over the set of hills that divided other villages from the Market Village. As we got closer to the town, I wondered if the merciless killing of children will ever end. I reconsidered if shooting the boy in the head was proper enough to end a child's life. It wouldn't be the first time to kill a child. I've killed many Infected children before him. And I know it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

_Yep. That's how their apocalyptic life is like. The next chapter will have a little more NaLu, with Natsu's overprotective self of course._

_Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out my other content and take the poll on my profile. Let me know what ya guys think the story so far by leaving me a review or sending me PM. That's all for now, but I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Tati_


	4. Chapter II

_What's up everyone! Tati here and welcome to the next chapter! I warn you, this one has attempted sexual assult _(a warning if it's some sort of trigger for anyone of you)_._

* * *

_Chapter II_

**_The sounds of happy merriment rang throughout the bar._** Songs were sung at every table. The older men from my village were happily drunk and trying to grab the long-haired waitress. My team was joining in the relaxation, taking a well deserved break from being look-outs for most of the day.

Erza was sitting between Gray and a blue-haired man with a red tattoo over one of his eyes. The blue-haired man I knew to be Jellal, someone who has worked with my team before and often partners up with Erza…A lot. Jellal had feelings for Erza, it was obvious to everyone who saw the way he looked at her. It was obvious, except to the maiden in question. As Jellal was talking to the others at their table, Erza was concentrating on her cake in front of her.

Gray was tinkering with the scopes of a couple of my rifles…and doing so in his boxers…_Only_ in his boxers. It was a strange habit of his, stripping off his clothes at any given moment. Especially during fights with Natsu or on hunts since he eased into the team four months ago. How does he find the time to _actually_ wake off his clothes and finding them quickly is unknown to me. But, at least it gives him attention from the opposite sex. Currently, he was surrounded by a group of drooling girls. He pays no mind to most of them, only focusing on a task at hand like Erza and her cake. But, there was one girl that he goes out of the way to tell her to leave him alone. Gray says it's 'cause she' so clingy, the rest of the teams thinks that he has a thing for bluenettes behind pillars.

Natsu was in the middle of the bar surrounded by woman. Girls from all over Sector Unknown knew who Natsu Dragneel was. An excellent fight and defender for his village. More than qualified to become the leader of a village. A good husband candidate (being 20 and all), especially being the son of the Head Swordsman. Girls, warriors or not, always flock around him, especially if his blonde-haired partner wasn't beside him.

He didn't really pay much attention to them, sometimes he looked annoyed to some extent. On those days, once Natsu locked eyes with mine he'd immediately join my side. But, he was too occupied by another waitress holding a tray of his favourite, spicy chicken.

I huffed out a breath, apparently loud enough to be heard and to bring out a series of giggles behind me. Turning around, a taller version of the white-haired waitress talking to Natsu stood behind the bar holding an empty tray. Her long white hair was down other than her tied up bangs. Her sapphire eyes had a glint of mischief in them.

"Jealous Lucy?" she asked, playfulness evident in her voice.

I rolled my eyes before grabbing my book from the pocket of my jacket, scribbling something down and holding it at her eye-level.

**It's not like that Mira.**

Mirajane and her younger siblings, Elfman and Lisanna, run the bar and inn my village usually stay at when we're in town. Mira, as everyone calls her, used to be on her village's armada with her siblings until recently when Lisanna was badly injured on a hunting trip. All three of them started working for their family inn, with Elfman as the cook while Mira and Lisanna waitress.

"Ara, ara Lucy. Then why are you glaring daggers at my little sister and every girl with Natsu?"

I nearly spat out my drink. Mira was very observant being the eldest of three and knew how to get the answers she wanted from others. It shouldn't surprise me by now.

**MIRA! I'm not glaring!**

She giggled, "You're cute when you're denying your obvious jealousy and feelings Lucy."

I sighed before writing again.

**I…I don't mean to glare at Lisanna. I know I shouldn't, since she's your sister and all. And it's Natsu's choice in the end.**

Mira paused before pushing my hands down. "I know you don't but it's completely natural to feel jealousy, even if it's towards my little sister. You're with Natsu all the time, right? And sure, it's mainly because he has the need to keep you safe. But that's how your relationship with him is. I wouldn't be surprised if he felt the same way about you."

I sighed, I didn't have that right to be jealous of other girls around him. They gave him what I couldn't, connections through conversing and a peace of mind. I know it was difficult for the rest of the village to deal with a mute girl as their future leader. Imagine how hard it is to be the one looking after her. That's Natsu's job, babysitting the mute girl.

"And as her older sister, I want Lisanna to be happy over anything else. But…" Mira's voice trailed off as I followed her gaze, landing on a somewhat pushy white-haired waitress and a slightly irritated Natsu. "Lisanna and the other girls are fighting a losing battle against you Lucy. You have Natsu tied down to you, whether you meant to or not."

I didn't mean to have Natsu tied down, it never crossed my mind. But I know that he shouldn't be tied down, much less to mew. I…I didn't have the right. Especially when there were more suitable _mates_ for him.

I looked back at Natsu who was desperately looking for a way out before locking eyes with me. He excused himself from Lisanna and walked away from her with a smile, making his way over to me. I watched as Lisanna's puppy dog look changed to an annoyed glare when her sapphire orbs landed on me before walking to other customers.

"Hey Luce, hi Mira," he said sliding into the stool next to me.

"Ah Natsu, we were just talking about you," Mira said, putting a glass of brown liquid in ice in front of him.

"I hope praising how awesome I am," Natsu said, picking up his glass and taking a sip from it. He flashed that childish grin of his. "Right Luce?"

I rolled my eyes, scribbling into my book before sliding it to him and taking another sip from my own drink.

**If that helps you sleep at night, then fine by me Natsu.**

I let a smirk slide on my face when Natsu erupted into protests. Mira leaned over the bar top to read my message and laughed.

"It's not funny Mira."

"Whatever you say Natsu." Mira's blue eyes wandered over the tables until she stopped and they widened. "Oh. My. God."

I raised an eyebrow, following her gaze. My eyes landed on a beat-red Erza and a smiling Jellal who had his hand intertwined with hers as he carried out a conversation with some others of our village. A sly grin formed on my lips.

"Even in the dark that our world is covered with, we can find the brightest of light," Mira said with a warm smile.

My sly grin turned warmer as Erza's fingers clasped on to Jellal's. I glanced over to Natsu, who continued to stare at Erza and Jellal's interaction. He turned around, glancing at me.

I only noticed then that I was staring. My eyes widened, knowing that he'll point it out. Instead, he grinned.

"Hey Luce, you wanna go-"

"Natsu!" a girl whined. I turned my head, only to be blocked by Lisanna leaning against the bar, between Natsu and I. "We weren't done talking."

I heard Natsu let out a huffy sigh as I watched Mira frowned at her younger sister.

"Lisanna, Lucy and Natsu were in the middle of something. It's rude to interrupt them," the older waitress scolded with a hand look.

"But Mira-nee! I was talking with Natsu first!"

"He excused himself, didn't he? Leave them be and go get the used mugs from tables."

"Mira-nee! But-"

"No buts Lisanna. Go-"

I waved my hand in front of Mira, cutting her off. I wrote in my book before standing up.

**It's okay Mira, I have to go check up on patrols before it gets late.**

Mira looked me questionably, "Your sure Lucy? It's awfully late for you to go outside right now."

"Then I'll go with her," Natsu said, standing up. "It'll be quick with the two of us Luce."

I shook my head before writing in my book.

**No it's fine Natsu. I'll be quick enough to get back before anything happens.**

I rummaged my hands in my pockets, finding two gold coins. Paper money was a luxury only used up north. Sectors used coins made of coloured metals as currency. I placed two gold coins on the counter next to my nearly empty drink.

I nodded to Mira and briskly walked passed Lisanna and Natsu, practically burning because of the younger sister's heated glare. Behind me I heard Natsu placing coins on the counter and catching up to me.

"Luce! Wait up!"

I turned my head, my blonde locks fanning around me. I gave Natsu a hard glare: _Don't follow me!_

The music stopped, everyone stared at us. It wasn't surprising, our '_fights_' were always a spectacle, mainly because flailing arms were on my part and arson was on his. I began hearing murmurs from the girls in the bar.

"I can't believe he lets _her_ be his partner."

"I know, what does he see in that mute girl?"

"How can she be a Head if she's like that to her partner?"

Their words weren't anything new either. It happens a lot when we're in neighbouring village.

"Luce…"

I walked towards the door. Noticing Erza and Gray stand up from their table, I raised my hand: _I'm fine, wait here._ With that, I left the bar.

Once I left the warmth of the bar, I was met with the chilly late autumn air. The sky was black with brown clouds covering the stars and crescent moon. Most of the homes lining the road were dark, with few exceptions that had flickering on the windowsills. Other inns were loud as muffled music and laughter leaked from the wooden doors.

The streets were quiet. That is, as quiet as it can be with the groans of the drunks and addicts in the alleyways. The people who live in complete poverty, well worse off than most Sectors, and ruin their lives with bad drugs. They cause other Sectors problems, assaults, robbery, rape. They cause the most crimes in Sector Unknown.

They wouldn't touch someone from an armada and anyone visible armed. But, like in any slum, there are those who are desperate and would do anything for their problem.

Like the man behind me. I smelled the heavy piercing scent of alcohol in his breath and the pure rancid smell of sweat mixed with drugs. His breathing was unsteady, a heavy user. Probably wanting to rob me of my guns to sell.

I picked up my pace. The entrance gates were five minutes away, if I got there the man would back off. But, I didn't know if he was armed…Or even alone.

"_Hey Puureetty Laaadeey!_" His words were slurred, extremely drunk or extremely high. I ignored him and kept walking. "_Oi! Gurlie, didn't ya hear meh?!_"

Huffing out a break, I stopped in my tracks. I pulled out my gun and turned on my heels, aiming the barrel of my pistol at his neck. He held up his hands in mercy. I narrowed my eyes.

"N-Now now, Lil' Lady. No need to get aggressive with this poor soul." I tilted my head as if he was testing my patience. "Y-You're part of the armada, yes?" You wouldn't never place a bullet in me.

I cocked the gun, loading a bullet in the chamber.

"Playing around are we?" The man's eyes darkened and looked behind me, nodding his head slowly.

My eyes widened when I noticed the scent of another man behind me. I turned around, finding a large man behind me, he had the near exact same scent as the other man unbeknownst to me, I tried to point my gun at him before he grabbed me, but he knocked my gun from my grasp, dropping it to the ground, and slipped his meaty arms under mine, restraining my movements.

"_Now, let's have some fun._" The man holding me dragged me to a dark alley as I tried to kick him with flailing legs.

I was pinned to the wall with my hands above my head. A hand was on my mouth, irrelevant as I was mute and wouldn't scream. I watched the disgusting smiles of these creeps fill my vision. I twitched as I felt a hand running along my leg and stomach.

One of the men leaned in to my ear. "_With a body like that, you _must_ play nice, eh?_"

I felt my breathing sharpen as I felt fingers graze my chest. I let out a whimper and I heard a dark chuckle from one of them. I clenched my hands into fists and my eyes shut.

"_You like that? There's more coming y-_"

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" A deadly calm voice dripping with venom came from the alley's entrance. I looked and saw Natsu with his blade drawn, resting across his shoulders.

_Natsu!_

His onyx eyes locked with mine for a moment before walking into the alley. He switched his gaze from me to the men, for a moment I saw fire in those onyx orbs of his.

Natsu moved his sword from his shoulders to his side. "I'd let her go if I were you. _Especially _now that you pissed me off."

One of my captures laughed. "And what happens when yo-"

In two seconds, Natsu's fast feet reached the man. His eyes were dark and his jaw was set. "Didn't I _fucking_ tell you to take your _fucking hands _off **_her_**?!"

Natsu grabbed the hand from my mouth, knocking the man unconscious to the ground with the hilt of his sword. Thee other man, holding my hands, let go of me and lunged at my partner. Natsu ran past the man, elbowing him in the back and swinging a kick to his hip, knocking him into the wall. Before the man could get up, Natsu pinned his head to the rough brick. He was probably holding hard him against the wall as he man's blood ran down the stone and gleamed in the torch light.

"And that's what happens when you piss me off." Natsu grabbed the back of the man's shirt and pushed him out the alley. "Get the fuck out of here!"

The man's face flinched with fear at Natsu's booming voice and ran out of the alleyway, where Erza and Gray showed up.

"Lucy!" Erza yelled.

I waved my hand and flashed a small smile: _I'm fine._

"I got her," Natsu said walking in front of me and sheathing his sword. "You two check patrol and I'll take Luce back to the inn."

"You sure?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, I got it."

The two nodded ad they headed towards the entrance gates. Natsu sighed and ran a hand through his spiky pink locks. He turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes held the reprimanding look he always gives him.

"And _this _is why you shouldn't go out in a big village like this alone at night Luce."

I lowered my gaze to the ground, nodding my head slowly and making my hair fall in front of my face. I felt tears beginning to well in my eyes and sniffed.

I heard Natsu take a few steps to stand in front of me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and his other on my face, lifting it up to face him.

My brown eyes were probably glossy as I was on the verge of tears. Natsu stared into my eyes, knowing what I was trying to convey through my silence: _I'm sorry._

Natsu brought my head under his, resting his chin on me. His hand on my face went to the back of my head as his other slipped to my back.

"I know Luce, I'm sorry too."

I shook my head under his chin and slipped my arms around his torso: _You shouldn't be._

"I'm suppose to protect you Luce, ever since you ran out to the middle of that field." He pulled away, grabbing my hand and leading me out of the alleyway. "Let's go back and get some of Mira's chicken."

I let out a smile at Natsu before stopping to pick up my fallen gun.

"Oh," Natsu said as he dragged me behind him to Mira's. "Mira told me what you guys were talking about before you left."

I let out a mangled sound that was a cross of a choke and a gag, surprising Natsu…And myself to nearly drop my loaded gun. I gave Natsu a wide-eyed look that made him laugh. My anxious look was replaced by an annoyed one.

"Don't worry Luce, I won't leave you for some of those village girls." We started walking to the inn. "Besides," Natsu slipped his fingers through mine, lacing themselves together, "I'd rather be with you till the end."

I started at Natsu with an awe face as we walked. A small smile formed on my lips as I moved closer to Natsu's side and gripped his hand tighter.

_Mira was right_, I thought. _I do have him tied down to me._ And I was beginning to think it wasn't all that bad.

* * *

_I'll probably upload the next chapter in a week or two, I have a lot of other one-shots I wanted to get out of the way. These chapters will be fairly long, or at least I plan to have them as such._

_Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out some of my other content! As always, let me know what you guys think by leaving a review or sending a PM. That's all for know, but I'll see you in the next chapter, Tati_


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